As I slowly walked down the hallway to my classroom I told myself, “Last school year was a complete disaster but this year is going to be different!” If I could paint a picture of the students that I had last year, it would look like a scene from Major Payne. Every morning when I […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why You Should Experiment on Your Students This Year
I have been a teacher for seventeen years, so yes, there are many lessons or activities that I have done exactly the same every year. I love my discussion on class and power in Romeo and Juliet, I have the same handout that I have been using for my sentence imitation lesson for twelve years, and I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
My Favorite Routines for Classroom Management
I am all for getting students to try new things and push their boundaries once in a while, but I don’t think it will come as a surprise that one of the best ways to manage a class is to establish routines and then stick to them. Students know what to expect, they feel comfortable […]
Posted inUncategorized
5 Things All Teacher Bloggers Should Do This Year to Get Millions of Page Views
Four years. The crazy thing is that I never meant to blog full-time, but blame it on my neurosis, I’ve managed to get over 5 million blog views since 2012. 5,000,000 page views when I wasn’t even trying. <screams> In addition to the page views, I’ve managed to find some of the best teachers/writers to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
A Profession Dependent on the Generosity of its own Employees
This week begins the 4th Annual RedditGifts for the Teachers.  While the website reddit.com is often in the news for its more controversial communities, it is a vast discussion site that hosts thousands of independent conversations. One thing it is best known for are its organized gift exchanges in which tens of thousands of people around […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Using 'Picture Books' as a Teaching Tool With Middle Elementary Students
I love to read out loud to my students. The problem lies in the fact that I don’t have kindergartners anymore who truly appreciate reading aloud for the simple fact that they are being read to. There is always more ‘stuff’ to do than time to do it in our days in middle elementary, so […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Social Studies, Technology
Week 3 of Rollout 1:1 iPads: Cede Control
The transition to a 1:1 digital classroom is a means for lessons designed around seamless cooperation between students and teachers to set common goals and outcomes. This week was a lesson in letting go of total classroom control. I spent the weekend rereading, How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students, by Susan Brookhart. I […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum
Eliminate Extra Credit!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] “Mr. Miller, is there any extra credit I can do?” I hear this question at least once a week. At. Least. Once. A. Week. Despite the fact that I spend the […]